Sent to showers Striking out at officer nets Clemens and brother 12 hours in jail

January 21, 1991|By Nick Cafardo | Nick Cafardo,Boston Globe

BOSTON -- Roger Clemens had what his agent described as a "quiet day" yesterday in his Katy, Texas, home after a troublesome string of events Saturday led to his arrest on charges of aggravated assault on a police officer.

"He did all the normal things he usually does on a Sunday -- watch the football game and play with his kids," said Clemens' agent, Alan Hendricks, who answered several questions from the media yesterday.

Clemens, 28, and his brother Gary, 39, face third-degree felony charges which, if convicted, could bring a possible two- to 10-year prison term and maximum fine of $5,000. But a legal official in Houston familiar with such cases said the most Clemens would receive, because of no prior record, would be a small fine, community service time, and possibly probation.

But Hendricks was leaning toward absolving Clemens totally.

"We're hoping for a quick and easy resolution to this case," Hendricks said. "At which time we'll have plenty to say."

Hendricks said last night that Clemens would not be issuing any public statements until the legal process had been completed. Clemens and his brother spent 12 hours in jail after the two-time Cy Young winner allegedly put a choke-hold on officer Louis Oviedo. The off-duty officer attempted to arrest Gary for a disturbance stemming from a shouting match with a group of people seated at a table near Clemens' at Bayou Mama's, a popular Houston nightspot.

The staff at Bayou Mama's refused comment, but a Houston Post source quotes an employee as saying, "It was an all-out brawl and Clemens was right in the middle of it."